Refrigerator door



Aug. 22, G, C;Y BOHN REFRIGERATOR DOOR Filed Aug. 24. 1931 gri/vento@ Geb/10,1162 (i 2302.27?

Iig;

Patented ug. 22, 1933 UNITED STATES REFRIGERATOR DOOR.

Gebhard C. Bohn, St. Paul, Minn., assignor to' Harold Bohn, St. Paul, Minn.

Application August 24, 1931. Serial No. 558,980

2 Claims.

The present invention relatesto a refrigerator door construction.

In present refrigerator construction, the refrigerator body and the doors of the refrigerator are usually covered with an enameled sheet metal sheathing member. The securing of the outer sheet metal sheathing member to the door frame structure of the refrigerator presents a serious manufacturing problem, due to the fact that in the closing of the doors there is a tendency for the frame structure of the door to become loosened from the enameled sheathing member.

Various methods have been devised to secure the enameled sheathing member to the door frame structure, but most of these methods involve a complicated and expensive frame structure.

A simple and effective method of accomplishing an interlocking relationship between the door frame structure and the sheet metal sheathing member is disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial Number 270,614, wherein a plurality of metal clips are used to provide an interlocking relationship between the door frame structure and the metal sheathing member, but the method disclosed therein involves the use of the additional metal clip members.

An object of the present invention is to improve and simplify the securing of a sheet metal sheathing member to a refrigerator door frame.

ln order to attain this object, there is provided, in accordance with one feature of the invention, a door frame having transverse end members and a pair of longitudinal side frame members permanently secured to said end members, each of said end members having an integral portion thereof projecting laterally from the outer side of said frame adjacent the ends thereof, said integral projecting portions being adapted to enter and engage an inturned marginal flanged portion on a sheet metal sheathing member.

These and other features of the invention will be more fully brought out in the following description and the accompanying drawing, where- Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view through a refrigerator door and frame construction, the central portion of the refrigerator door being broken away.

Figure 2 is a View in perspective of a refrigerator door frame and sheathing member, a pair of integral extensions on said door frame being shown in interlocking relationship with an inturned marginal flanged portion of said sheathing member.

Figure 3 is a view in elevation of a corner of the outer surface of a door embodyingthe present invention with a portion of a sheathing member broken away; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional View of a door showing the interlocking relationship between the frame and the outer sheathing member.

Referring to the drawing in detail, a refrigerator door opening is indicated in Figure 1 with a door in position therein. A pair of frame members 1 and 2 are mounted in a customary manner with outer sheathing plates 3 and l mounted thereon. A pair of tapered door frame members 5 and 6 are secured interiorly of the door opening and are positioned to engage inturned flanged portions 7 and 8 of the sheathing members 3 and 4, respectively, to secure them in position. insulative, water-proof strips 9 and 10 are secured to the inner face of the tapered members 5 and 6 to form a water-proof seal around the door opening. These strips may be made of any suitable material, such as hard rubber or. phenolic condensation product. These strips are secured in position as by means of screws l1 which penetrate the strips and are embedded in the door opening frame construction.

The door comprises a frame A which is preferably made of a pair of longitudinal side frame members 12 and 13 and a pair of end frame members 14 and 15. Each of these frame members is preferably built of two superposed strips of wood 16 and 17, securely connected together as by means of gluing and screws, not shown.

An inner door sheathing member 18 is of sheet metal preferably enamel coated and is held in position by means of insulative strips 19 and 20 similar to the door frame opening insulative strips 9 and 10. The door frame 17 is provided with a surrounding ridge 21 around the outer edge thereof. On the hinge side of the door, and on the two ends, the ridge 21 nts closely against the inturned edge of the marginal flange 22 of the door sheathing member 23 when the door frame is swung into position within the sheathing member. Interiorly of the door frame A is positioned heat insulative material which preferably comprises two superposed sheets 24 and 25 of fibrous insulative material. The end members 14 and 15 of said frame are each provided with projecting tongues 26 and 27 extending outwardly beyond the frame on the side of the door opposite from that upon which hinges 23 are mounted. These tongues are adapted to enter and interlooizingly engage the inturned marginal flanged portion 22 of the door sheathing members. The outer ends of these tongues are preferably rounded as so that the frame may be readily swung into position Within the sheathing member from the position shown in Figure 2.

The opposite or hinge side of the door frame is held in position within the sheathing member by means of screws 29 which also serve to fasten the hinges 28 in position on the door.

The projecting tongues 26 and 27 firmly secure the door frame and sheathing member together at the outer corners of the door, while screws which secure the refrigerator lock, not shown, in position, and which is mounted intermediately of the ends of the door on the opposite side from the hinges 28, seeures the central portion of the look side of the sheathing member to the door frame.

In this manner a rigid and permanent connection is obtained between the door frame and the sheathing member Without the use of eX- traneous fastening means. i

I claim:

1. A refrigerator door Construction, comprising an exterior sheathing plate formed with a marginal, inturned flange, a backing frame adapted to t closely Within said marginal ange, said frame having a pair of end members and a pair of longitudinal side members, each of said end members having an extension formed integral therewith and adapted to have interlocking engagement with said inturned marginal flanged portion, supporting hinges for said door on the opposite side from saidinterlooking projecting portions, and means passing through said supporting hinges and said sheathing plate and being imbedded into said frame to secure said frame to said sheathing member.

2. A refrigerator door construction, comprising an exterior planiform sheathing plate formed with an inturned marginal flange, a backing frame adapted to fit Within said marginal inturned flange, said frame having a pair of integral projections at opposite ends of one side thereof, said projections being adapted to be inserted beneath said inturned marginal flange, said projections being Curved on their outer ends to permit swinging of said door frame into position Within the inturned marginal flanged portion of said sheathing plate, and means passing through the planiform portion of said sheathing member and into said frame on the opposite side from said projections to secure said sheathing member to said frame.

GEBHARD C. BOE-1N. 

